*notcot - 01.16.07 , 19:54 -

Stick Em Up!

Shop...or I'll shoot!
On design trends, we’ve certainly been seeing a lot of weaponry showing up - but this revolver/handgun(?) trend has become even more predominant as of late… Laura Sweet seems to have been picking up on a lot of the NOTCOT finds this week, and has compiled quite a comprehensive list of gun inspired goods in her “Stick Em Up! Gun Shaped Stuff” List.

Yes, that’s a blogit ~ so you know the drill, click the pics to see more. (for those who don’t know, blog-it is kind of my baby)

*notcot - 01.12.07 , 14:06 -

Samaritans

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Brilliant doodle filled campaign for Samaritans (see full posters and tv spot below) ~ created by Alex Holder, Oli Kellett, Daryl Corps and Ben Kay at advertising agency Lunar BBDO. Illustrted by Billie Jean. “The campaign for 2007 is based around the idea that doodles are a way of expressing your inner thoughts, and that if there are things on your mind then Samaritans is there to offer confidential support 24 hours a day.” Heart warmingly doodle inspiring…

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*notcot - 01.05.07 , 21:51 -

Trendy Greenwashing

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Green is in. Everyone wants to go green, from corporate to your indie fashionista. The issues have been coming up about “shades of green” (how green IS a product? how do you tell? what are the criteria? etc.)… and just noticed this post over at the HOW magazine blog about GREENWASHING as pointed out in the NYT two days ago. Here are some great snippets - about how design is key in the greenwashing process of consumers…

“A bag of natural Cheetos seemed so much more appealing than the classic cheese puff. Why? Was it the image of a subdued Chester Cheetah rising gently from a farm field bathed in golden sunlight? Like clues to a murder that suddenly point to a single culprit, the mystery in my shopping cart revealed itself. Wheat sheaf by wheat sheaf, sunrise by sunrise, the grocery store shelves had been greenwashed. And I was falling for it.”

“As a design shorthand, it makes subtle use of specific colors, images, typefaces and the promise of what marketers call “an authentic narrative” to sell food. Especially in recent years, greenwashing has spilled out well past the organic section of the grocery store. Even the snack aisle at the gas station isn’t immune.

“Somebody becomes successful with a specific point of view, and the consumer begins to identify with it and it spreads like a virus,” said Paula Scher, a partner in Pentagram, an international design firm. From there it’s only a matter of time before Cap’n Crunch shows up in a hemp jacket, raising money to save the manatees. Buy a greenwashed product and you’re buying a specific set of healthy environmental and socially correct values.

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*notcot - 01.03.07 , 22:23 -

Colette MY 2007

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Colette invites a large number of artists, illustrators, and graphic designers to share their hopes for 2007 in a gallery show entitled “MY 2007“… including Base and Axel du Bus*, Ayako Tagaki*, Fafi*, Genevieve Gaukler, John Maeda, Shepard Fairey, Ryan McGinness, Moriceau & Petra Mrzyk, Takashi Murakami, Yoshitomo Nara, Wrongwroks, and so many more. Proceeds to all of these pieces will go to the WWF to aid in the protection of nature and our environment. (*seen above)

*notcot - 01.01.07 , 20:40 -

McFaul

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The work of McFaul got posted on .org and its been the inspiration fixation of the day… check out these murals he did for the BBH offices. Also noteworthy is the Bernstein & Andriulli site UI, something really nice and clean and sleek i’m loving about it.

*notcot - 12.28.06 , 16:02 -

Stella Im Hultberg

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Stella Im Hultberg… my art obsession of the week. Her more recent pieces have been mesmerizing me since the Oddica Cotton to Canvas show. There is something about the tea stained paper plus oil and water colors and those dreary bored apathetic droopy edgy girls that pretty much embodies how i’ve felt this week. And can you believe she has a series of prints in her store you can purchase for a mere 20$? signed and titled even.

So who is Stella? According the the bio on her site “Stella is a painter and drawer living in New York City.
Despite her background in industrial design and toy design, she has recently turned to a more personal and expressive kind of creating, showing her works at galleries since last year (2005). When she’s not drawing or painting, she likes to eat while thinking of more food to eat; search for the perfect cupcake; eat ice cream at the park; and just walk around her most favorite city in the world.” More of my favorites below…

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*notcot - 12.24.06 , 14:33 -

Saks Mixes it Up

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Pentagram takes Saks Fifth Avenue’s branding to a new level - nearly a googol of possible logo iterations and STILL have people know its Saks? That’s the type of proposal that most designers would run, hide, and cry about.

Waking up and seeing the post at 30gms that pointed me to Michael Bierut’s Pentagram post has had me giddy all morning… the black and white, the mathematical shuffle, the balls to slice up a clients logo till nearly unrecognizable and still so perfect… i LOVE the boxes and and imagery it creates, and it scales endlessly. “A new identity designed by Pentagram for iconic New York retailer Saks Fifth Avenue launches on January 2, 2007. Partner Michael Bierut describes the process behind the development of an identity with more variations than there are electrons in the known universe.” The post (case study) itself is so beautifully written, it will leave you with more branding understanding than most intro courses.

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*notcot - 12.23.06 , 20:29 -

WK12 - round 4.

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CLICK ON THE KEYS! Click on the keys. Says Jimm from WK12… So maybe i shouldn’t tell you more and will just let you go exploring this desk that is surprisingly more messy than mine (ok, so i just cleaned as you can see from the mimomas post) “Wieden+Kennedy Seeks 12: Ad Agency for Nike, etc., seeks 12 talented open curious collaborative optimistic candidates for the 4th year of experimental advertising school.”

Are you confused? Are you excited? B/c i’m ecstatic and want to go. So go grab your envelope… get creative… and get mailing. Video to get you fired up below.

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*notcot - 12.20.06 , 23:16 -

The Alchemists

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If you watch one trailer this week - this is THE one to watch if you want to get your inspiration fix. Because after those few minutes i can’t wait for 2007, and i’m buzzing to shake things up with all my insane ideas. Brought to you by the One Club, The Alchemists is “about 5 people who hated the world so much…they changed yours”.

Who’s involved? “Lee Clow, who created the most-famous commercial in history by introducing Macintosh computers in “1984”; George Lois who single-handedly saved MTV from extinction with his trademark in-your-face celebrity campaign; Phyllis K. Robinson who helped define the entire “me generation” with her liberating spin on selling Clairol; Hal Riney who got President Reagan re-elected; and Dan Wieden who, inspired by the last words of executed murderer Gary Gilmore, came up with the little phrase “Just Do It” and revolutionized advertising forever. Sports, fashion, music, politics, technology-our culture-was deeply affected by these alchemists.”

So really, how much do YOU hate the world? via WK

*notcot - , 22:31 -

Design Sketching

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There are two reasons i fell in love with industrial design - the products - and the sketching. From the first time i did intro to ID and watching the RISD kids do marker renderings when we were bored, jetlagged, and a few bottles of wine into the night… i was mesmerized… and i found again when in the Nissan design studios that i could sit and watch those guys sketch on paper and cintiqs for hours like it was magic…

So whether you’re a designer, or a lover of the behind the scenes process of these objects we love… i just noticed Design Sketching over at IDGrid. What makes this book unique is that it is the product of 24 very talented design students of Sweden’s Umeå Institute of Design - with the goal to “inspire and teach sketching by displaying a broad collection of examples of all the large variety of sketches that are useful in the design process. ” The authors, Erik Olofsson and Klara Sjölen graduated in 2005, and founded this publishing group to get this book out there - so support your fellow design students! It looks like an inspiring one to add to the design library.

*notcot - 12.17.06 , 20:28 -

Miss Bibi Does Colette

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Eyecandy warning - the images of Miss Bibi’s miniatures, which are some of the most stunning jewelry pieces to have graced the pages of NOTCOT this year, can be seen in all their glorious context below!

Brigitte Giraudi is “Miss Bibi ”, a young artist from Monte Carlo, with a fascinating background in 3D Illustration and Stop Frame Animation… and a specialty in miniature installations. So is it any surprise to go from edgy luxe miniatures to jewelry? ” Her first collection ‘INTRIG’ takes its inspiration from a famous detective game. Each piece of jewelery is an emblem to a luxurious but dark world, taking shape into miniature chandeliers, knives, tools, high heal shoes etc… So, thereupon, were born her killer earings, her sexy murder rings and her famous dangerous necklaces. They will please anyone with a sense of dark sarcastic humor and a Monte-Carlo’s luxurious fondness.”

And her latest adventure since we posted about the collection back in Feb 06, is an exhibition at Parisian Colette, as well as an updated website with more imagery to pull you into the dark mini world of “cleudo” and ‘intrig’…

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*notcot - , 19:43 -

The Light of Paris

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Fresh off the press is Jean-Michel Berts’ “The Light of Paris” with introduction by Pierre Assouline (and published by Assouline). While i have noticed i’ve been on a bit of a skate deck and photography kick the last few days, these are absolutely breathtaking, and a must see for any Paris lover… or cityscape lover even. Excerpts of some of my favorite images from their site below… Luxus mentions that these are taken with a camera obscura, the main site simply says “These pictures involved a highly sophisticated technique and more than twelve months of preparation. Jean-Michel was intent on revealing all the subtleties, all the richness of the destinations he had chosen for this project. The shots were taken in the early morning or late at night, to meet specific lighting requirements. The artist has intentionally focused on man-made constructions, devoid of human presence, in order to allow them to “live”, to exist, in their own right.” And either way, the effect is mesmerizing and timeless. You can digitally flip through an excerpt of the book here.

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*notcot - 12.15.06 , 15:20 -

Kim Family Art Auction

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It was a tragedy what happened to James Kim, loving husband, father, and CNET Senior Editor, and it’s truly amazing all he did to care for his wife, Kati Kim, and the couple’s two daughters, Penelope, 4, and Sabine, seven months. For all the design lovers, you probably know their store Doe SF.

Design Sponge just featured the Kim Family Benefit and Craft Auction. Over 40 different artists have contributed auction items in a wide range of media. You’ll find paintings, prints, ceramics, soft toys, jewelery, paper goods, home decor and more. 100% of the auction proceeds will go to the Kim Family Fund. Bidding will begin January 3rd and end January 7th.

*notcot - 12.14.06 , 04:52 -

Emil Kozak ~ Avant Gandhi

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Emil Kozak is my obsessive inspiration for tonight ~ from these skateboards he did for the LAB, Hulger phones, beautiful photography of his travels, to playful self portraits ~ i just can’t seem to get enough of his work right now. Originally from a small town in Denmark, this graphic design genius surfs and skates his way around the world, but his studio is Barcelona based. I’ve been going through every section of his site over and over, and a collection of the pieces which inspire me most are below, but really - go browse every nook of emilkozak.com, and try not to drool on your computer when your jaw drops at his work.

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*notcot - 12.13.06 , 04:30 -

Gonzo Photography

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I want to grab my camera, jump in my car, grab some friends, head up the coast - and see what adventures find me. (Don’t worry, i wouldn’t leave the the sites behind, i’d just bluetooth my pearl internet to my laptop and be good to go anywhere?)

But seriously - found on .org, Tarsh posted this Hunter S. Thompson exhibition running at M+B Gallery in LA, and as you go through the pics, you will find it hard to resist questioning your life~ because the energy and composition and colors - there’s just far too much inspiration in those prints. For me anyhow.

That first picture - makes me think of a time before the internet. And the far right - is “fishing with guns”.

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